The National Hospital, Abuja, has said the report of the autopsy conducted on the body of late Nigerian gospel singer cum lead chorister of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Osinachi Nwachukwu, will only be released to the police.
Recall that the 42-year-old artiste died on Friday after spending days at an undisclosed hospital in Abuja.
Earlier, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command said an autopsy test was being conducted on the remains of the late gospel artiste, who allegedly died as a result of domestic violence.
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The Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, Abuja, Dr Jeff Momoh, in a telephone conversation with Vanguard, said the report of the autopsy would be released to the Nigeria Police.
“The report is going to the people who made the request, it won’t be disclosed to the public at all,” Momoh said, refusing to talk more.
Quest Times understands that the police made a request for the post-mortem examination, prompting the decision of the national hospital.
The legal perspective
Autopsy reports made pursuant to law are public records which must be made available for public inspection and examination unless exempted by a special act.
If not exempted from disclosure by a special act, an autopsy report may be kept confidential only to the extent necessary to ensure that a criminal investigation would not be significantly impeded and enable violators of the criminal laws to escape detection and apprehension.
Documents or records made confidential by statute do not lose such status upon receipt by the medical examiner.
But the question is, why should the autopsy be made confidential when the case at hand is a subject of public interest?
